Improvement in hatchways



UNITED SrnrnsjPATnNr Cnnion.

WILLIAM neknLLY,

on NEWl YORK, N. Y.

IMPRovEM ENT IN HATcHwAYs.

Specificationformingv part of Letters Patent No. 219,100,- dated September 2, i879; application filed January 27, 1879.

tion, which will enable others skilled in the art` 'to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and` to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to hatchways for clevators; and consists in certain new and useful improvements in mechanism for automatically opening and closing'hatchway covers or doors `as the elevator approaches, passes through, and recedes from each iioor of a building or vessel containing a hatchway, either.

upon its ascent or descent.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my invention, with floor and hatchway in vertical section, showing the elevator as it is ascending through the hatchway. Fig. 2 represents a similar view, showing the elevator on itsdescent, with the doors or covers partly opened. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section through line x a; of Fig. l, showing the covers closed ldown upon the hatchway, and Fig. 4 represents an enlarged side elevation of the trip-dog mechanism. d

A A are guide-posts, erected in th'e lusual manner, located in transversely-opposite corners of the hatchway, provided .on their face or` faces with theusual guide tongues or grooves, and extending to any desired-height.

A windlass or drum, B, operated in'any wellkuoWn manner, is connected with and raises or lowers the elevator C by means of a rope or chain, a, which, secured at one end to the windlass, passes upward and over suitable pulleys b b, located upon theupper cross-head, ceiling, or floor, c, and then downward through small openings d between the hatch-covers to the elevator.

Upon the elevator I construct supplemental frames d d', which support large friction rolls or wheels D D on their upper ends, and are continued downward below the floor ofthe elevator, forming cam-lugs e c, for purposes hereinafter to be more fully set forth. It is obvious that these cam-lugs can be constructed and secured to the elevatorindependently of the friction-wheel frame.

Upon that portion of the elevator-frame which operates with the guide-posts' A A in guiding the elevator I provide shoulders f. A second set of shoulders, g, is formed upon the lower surface of the floor of the elevator, immediately below the shoulders f, said shoulders f and g operating with other mechanism, here-- inafter to be described, for the purpose of securing the `opening and closing of the hatchcovers at the proper time.

Each hatchway in each door is provided with twocovers, E E, hinged to the floor so as to open upward upon opposite sides of the hatchway, as shown in Fig. 2. Springs h h are provided, against which each cover presses when fully opened, and which aid in starting the covers downward when released.. Weights, ropes, and pulleys can be substituted for these springs, to accomplish the same result; but springs are preferably used. Y

Each cover is provided on `its outer edge with a loop or eye, i. A turn-buckle, 7c, secured toone end of a cover-liftin g rope or chain, l, is hooked inorotherwise secured to each of these eyes. These chains or ropes l are then passed obliquelyupward over pulleysm, se#

. cured to uprights or wall lo ,f and then over pul lleys n, secured tothe guide-posts A A, and

are attached to verticallyslidingtrip-dogs F F. The cover-lifting ropes lare attached to their respective dogs at p, for the purpose of throwing the upper end of the dog outward,

`thus securing the engagement of the dog with the shoulders f or g on the elevator at the proper time. These dogs are placed trans versely opposite to, and travel upward and downward independent of but in unison with, each other, in guides formed by guide-plates Gr, secured to the side of each of the posts A, and are more effectually retained in their proper position by means of pins or lugs q, which ride in a passage-way, s, formed by the rear or outward edge of the guide-plate G and a back stopplate, H, as shown more particularly in Fig. 4. The lower end of this back stop-plate is provided with a friction-roller, r,

or is bent outward, as shown at Fig. 4, for the purpose of facilitating the release of the dog from the shoulder g. A

It is-obvious that either of the series of shoulders f and g can be dispensed with, and but one series used. Iprefer to use both. It is also obvious that the trip-dog mechanism can be secured to the side of the wall instead of the guide-posts A.

For the purpose of more fully describing the operation of my invention, we will assume the elevator to be below one of the floors, with the hatch-covers closed and the elevator ascending, as at Fig. l. As the windlass is operated, the friction-wheels or iixed frictionsurfaces mounted on top of the elevator press lupward against the bottom of the hatch-covers and open-them upward. As the covers swing up, the trip-dogs, which are attached to them by means of ropes, as before described, descend in their respective guides and remain in their.lowermost position until the lower surface of the elevator-licor has ascended beyond the top of the now open covers, when the springs h h press the covers downward or inward, forcing the outer ends of the trip-dogs by the dogs, which are still retained in thel shoulders gon the bottom of the elevator, and

Vare carried down with the elevator in its descent, thus throwing up the hatch-covers.

The back plate, H, is so constructed as to allow the dog to trip from the shoulder g, as shown ,by dotted lines in Fig. 4,at the moment thehatch-covers are nearly open, thus releasing the said covers when they are pressed against'the cam-lugs c e, below the bottom of the elevator. These cam-lugs, in the descent of the elevator, press or wedge open the covers to their full extent, thus allowing the elevator to pass on down through the hatchway, the covers closing in over the same, being impelled by their own weight after having been started by the springs h h, the friction-Wheels D Dpreventing them from closing too rapidly.

The friction-wheels D D may be dispensed with, in which case the covers can be lifted in the ascent of the elevator by means of cam-surfaces y constructed upon the upper portion of supplemental frames d d. v

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isu l. In a hatchway for elevators provided with hinged covers, the -combination ofthe elevator C and trip-dogs F, which engage in stationary shoulders on the elevator, and which travel in guideways provided at their lower extremity with an opening, by means of which the dog is released from its engagement with said shoulders in the manner and for the purpose substantially as set forth.

2. The trip-dogs F, guide-posts A, guideplate Gr, back stop-plate, H, passage-ways s, guide-lugs q, and friction-roll i", all combined and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

3."Ihe trip-dog mechanism, as described,

the rope or chain l, pulleys m and n, uprights o, turn-buckle k, hinged covers E, and springs h, all combined and operating in the manner substantially as set forth.

4.'The elevator C, provided with frictionsurfaces D, cam-lugs e, and shoulders f and g, v

in combination with windlass B and connecting-ropes and pulleys, corner guide-posts A, trip-dog mechanism with connecting-ropes and pulleys, covers E, and springs h, all operating inthe manner and for the purposes substantially as set forth. y

5. Iu combination with ahinged-covcr hatchway, the elevator C, provided with stationary shoulders, the trip-dogs F, and their guideways, provided with an escape-opening at their lower extremity, and the cam-lugs e, which project below the elevator-Hoor, and which prevent the hinged covers from overstraining the trip-dog mechanism in the beginning of their descent, substantially iu the manner set forth. y l

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. KELLY.

Witnesses EUGENE E. DEXTER, WM. R. MACFAELANE. 

